2. Arc’teryx Beta Jacket

Our choice for the best lightweight waterproof jacket on the market

Price: £350
Weight: 300g
Best for: Hiking, climbing, backpacking and day-to-day use
What we liked: light but durable, simple aesthetic
What we didn’t like: lacking pit zips

There’s no denying that the Arc’teryx brand is hugely popular at the moment with its reputation even crossing beyond the outdoor realm and this, the Beta Jacket, is up there as one of its most sought after products. But is it any good? Yes, it is actually. It’s a really decent jacket. 

OK, it’s expensive (though not the most expensive in this test) but it does ooze quality. The materials are all high-spec, the details are all carefully thought through and, from our experience, it offers the kind of performance any hiker or climber would want from a waterproof jacket.

The Beta uses a Gore-tex waterproof membrane that’s sandwiched between a lightweight shell and a C-knit backer and the resulting fabric feels durable but also very light and packable. From our experience, this thing’s so light you can stuff it in your backpack and completely forget it’s there. Then, when you need it, it’ll offer dependable protection without too much clamminess and it’ll fend off a bit of rough stuff too – we found it held up really well when exposed to rough rock while scrambling. 

Arc’teryx describe the Beta jacket as being multi-use. We’d define it as being suitable for hiking, climbing and some not-too-gnarly alpine climbing. It’s a little on the heavy side as a jacket for running, but it’s not wholly inappropriate for that kind of stuff. We’d recommend looking at the Beta LT if you want something for fast tempos.

OM editor Will tried this in a medium, his usual size, and he said it fitted perfectly over a baselayer and mid layer but it’s cut a little too athletically to be worn over a bulky layer of insulation.

Waterproof fabric: Gore-tex / Sizes: XS-3XL (men’s), XXS-XXL (women’s) / Pit zips: no / Fit: regular

Selected for our Outdoor 100 product guide – Here’s our full Arc’teryx Beta Jacket Review.

Buy the Arc’teryx Beta Jacket: £350 at Ellis-Brigham 

3. Simond Evo Mountaineering Jacket

This gets our pick as the best value rain jacket from our tests

Price: £170
Weight: 580g
Best for: winter hiking, mountaineering
What we liked: value for money, durable fabric
What we didn’t like: hood could do with more adjustment and a broader peak

Simond, in case you don’t know it, is a Decathlon brand. It’s a Chamonix-based branch of the company that focuses on kit for technical outdoor use – things like climbing, mountaineering and alpinism. What they’ve produced here is a jacket that has all the right virtues for serious outdoor use. In fact, it has the look, feel, features and performance of a Gore-tex Pro jacket, but at a much lower price.

We found the fabric to be protective and highly durable. It’s as breathable as we’d expect a three-layer jacket to be, with large pit zips helping to create nice levels of airflow when you need it. The two-way zip, internal glove pocket and helmet-compatible hood are details that climbers and mountaineers will appreciate and, from our experience, it also serves very well as a winter hiking shell. It’d be a better jacket if the hood had a bit more adjustment (there’s just one tab at the back) and a moldable peak. The pockets are also a little cut off when you’re wearing a backpack with a hipbelt, though you can still get your hands inside them. There’s also the sustainability side of things: a lot of brands are now using some recycled content but this uses virgin plastics throughout. Room for improvement there, for sure. Despite those things, we found this to be a very hardy jacket that’s very good value for money overall.

Waterproof fabric: polyamide / Sizes: S-2XL (men’s), XS-XL (women’s) / Pit zips: yes / Fit: regular.

Buy the Simond EVO Jacket: £170 at Decathlon.co.uk 

4. Páramo Helki Jacket

The best waterproof jacket for breathability, according to our team of testers

Price: £270
Weight: 693g
Best for: cold and wet conditions
What we liked: easy to repair and long lasting, useful details, very breathable
What we didn’t like: heavy, not fully waterproof

For those unacquainted with Páramo, the first thing to know about them is that they make rain protection without the use of any membranes and instead they use highly water resistant fabrics that are treated with Nikwax’s hydrophobic treatment. The result? Wet weather protection without that horrible clammy feeling that you tend to get from most waterproof jackets. Their jackets are also straightforward to repair. In fact, with a needle and thread you could even repair them while out in the field. 

The downside is that most of Páramo’s jacket, including this one, are a little on the heavy side. You also need to ensure that the Nikwax protection is topped up fairly regularly. Still, we’re big fans of the brand here at Outdoors Magic and we’re continually impressed by their products. 

Details we liked on this jacket include the large, stormproof hood and the front zip that’s backed by poppers so you can convert it into a large vent. 

“I’m 5 foot 10 and have an average build and I tested the Páramo Helki in a men’s medium, my usual size and it fitted perfectly,” said our tester. “The cut is quite similar to most modern waterproof jackets. If you like a longer jacket, I recommend looking into the Páramo Alta instead.”

Women’s version is the Andina / Waterproof fabric: Nikwax Analogy / Sizes: S-XXL (men’s),  XS-XL (women’s) / Pit zips: no / Fit: quite loose

Selected for our Outdoor 100. Read our full Páramo Helki Jacket review.

Buy the Páramo Helki: £270 at Blacks.co.uk

5. Cimalp Guide Pro

This came out tops in our durability tests, landing our award for the most durable waterproof jacket

Price: £350
Weight: 710g
Best for: Winter hiking, mountaineering
What we liked: Very durable, lots of useful details
What we didn’t like: heavy

If you like your waterproof jackets to be tough and very hard wearing, this is the jacket for you. Our testers found this to be the most durable jacket we’ve tested for some time, with Cimalp’s proprietary fabric shrugging off all kinds of abrasion. 

This also stood out for its feature set. It’s got all the kind of details you’d want from a jacket for use in difficult environments, including a helmet-friendly hood, a two-way main zip, glove-friendly zipper tabs and a RECCO reflector for avalanche recovery. We also liked the size of the vents under the arms which allowed for bucket loads of airflow when using this jacket in mild to warm conditions. 

Cimalp might not be as well known as the likes of Mountain Equipment and Rab, but from what we’ve seen of them, they know how to make kit to rival the big hitters. 

Waterproof fabric: Ultrashell / Sizes: S-XXXL (men’s), XS-XXL (women’s) / Pit zips: yes / Fit: regular. 

Read our full Cimalp Guide Pro review.

Buy the Cimalp Guide Pro: £350 at Cimalp.co.uk

6. Mountain Equipment Makalu Jacket

Price: £300
Weight: 550g
Best for: hillwalking, mountaineering
What we liked: protective, durable, innovative new fabric
What we didn’t like: quite heavy

The all-important thing to know about this is that it’s one of the first ever jackets to use Gore-tex’s brand new ePE fabric. This is a new waterproof material from Gore-tex that looks set to replace the standard version of the fabric that we’ve all come to know over the last few decades now. The reason for the switch? The old fabric contains PFCs while the new one doesn’t. PFCs, you see, are now being phased out of production by most outdoor brands due to their potential for environmental harm. 

Better still, the fabric is impressive. We’ve used it in three different jackets now and it seems to be durable, protective and as breathable as you can expect a waterproof membrane to be. Featured here in the Mountain Equipment Makalu, it makes for a very impressive offering. During our tests, this jacket had the feel of a shell you can really trust; the kind of thing we’d reach for when we knew conditions were going to be very rough. But it’s still relatively lightweight too; we found it can serve either as that option to wear all day-long in horrible stuff or as that option to carry in your backpack, just in case some rain happens to roll in. For us, this offered everything we’d want in bad weather: a fully adjustable hood, venting pit zips, water resistant zips and, of course, a fabric that can capably block out moisture. 

There are also touches that show Mountain Equipment’s real alpine expertise. The hood, for instance, is helmet friendly, the pockets can be accessed when you’re wearing a harness or backpack with a hipbelt and the arms are articulated so the hem doesn’t lift up when you’re reaching high for a hold. 

Waterproof fabric: Gore-tex ePE  / Sizes: S-3XL (men’s), 8-16 (women’s) / Pit zips: yes / Fit: regular.

Selected for our Outdoor 100. Read our full Mountain Equipment Makalu review.

Buy the Mountain Equipment Makalu: £300 at Ellis-Brigham.com 

7. Harrier Exmoor Jacket

Price: £95
Weight: 340g
Best for: trail running, lightweight hiking
What we liked: stretchy fabric, loads of ventilation, smart design details
What we didn’t like: on the heavy side for its category

Harrier is a fairly new brand that makes great value kit specifically designed for trail running. This, the Exmoor jacket, is one of their bestsellers and, having tested this out extensively now, we can see why. It’s one of those jackets that’s clearly made by people who actually know exactly what a jacket should deliver; it has a waterproof but stretchy fabric that moves with you, it has loads of useful ventilation points and a hood with excellent adjustment, and a mouldable peak. Its dual, offset zips on the front are designed to allow you to wear it over the top of a running vest, so you can still have access to your squeezy bottles and nutrition and there’s a really smart design feature that lets you roll down the jacket around your waist like a belt, without actually needing to take it off. Read our full review to get the full details there. 

While this is made for running, we found that it can still serve as a lightweight hiking jacket, but it’s worth noting that this has quite a close fit and will be a bit of a squeeze over a thick mid layer. 

Waterproof fabric: 15,000mm brand’s own  / Sizes: XS-XXL (men’s), XS-XL (women’s)  / Pit zips: yes  / Fit: athletic

Read our full Harrier Exmoor review.

Buy the Harrier Exmoor: £95 at Harrierrunfree.co.uk 

8. Keela Pinnacle

Price: £195
Weight: 405g
Best for: Hiking, mountaineering
What we liked: durable, lots of handy details, good value
What we didn’t like: quite heavy

From our experiences, the Keela Pinnacle offers the same kind of protection and performance that you’d get from a £300 Gore-tex jacket, just at a much lower price. 

Keela is a Scottish brand that does things a little differently to some of the more well-known brands. Its designers think outside of the box, coming up with their own fabrics and clever design details, and this results in great products like this.

It’s a useful, versatile jacket with some really nice details, including glove-friendly zipper tabs, a big moldable peak, two-way zips and huge vents at the armpits. We found the three-layer fabric to be protective and durable and it has a slight bit of stretch to it to give that touch more of dynamism when you’re reaching up for a hold in this thing. 

From our experience using the Pinnacle, we’d call it your three-season work horse. It’s the kind of jacket that will come in handy for anything from alpine-style climbing through to scrambling, hillwalking and just day-to-day use. The cut was noteworthy too; we found it to be loose enough to accommodate a thick layer of insulation underneath but it didn’t come across as bulky or baggy either. 

Waterproof fabric: Aquaflex Extreme 3L  / Sizes: XS-3XL (men’s), 8-20 (women’s) / Pit zips: yes / Fit: regular

Selected for our Outdoor 100. Read our full Keela Pinnacle review.

Buy the Keela Pinnacle: £195 at Keelaoutdoors.com 

9. Páramo Aspira 360 Smock

Price: £600
Weight: 850g
Best for: harsh weather conditions, snow sports, winter walking
What we liked: sustainability factors, versatile hood and storage options
What we didn’t like: high price point

Páramo’s newly improved version of the Aspira smock is built for durability and minimising the risk of damage during use. Should repairs be necessary, Páramo have made it easy for individuals to patch up minor rips with basic sewing skills, or you can send it to their workshop for professional repairs at a fair price.

The Aspira 360 features Nikwax Analogy fabric which uses a membrane-free construction, mimicking animal fur to provide effective rain protection while managing internal moisture. We found it to be particularly effective during those relentless rainy days in the autumn and winter months here in the UK. In fact – we tested it on some pretty brutal days in the Lake District and stayed cosy and dry the whole time.  

Páramo’s hoods are equally impressive. They feature a big mouldable peak that offers a lot of coverage and plenty of adjustment. The smock also includes several ventilation points, allowing you to regulate temperature during intense activity. The five pockets add significant functionality, with handwarmers, a large front pocket, two small Velcro chest pockets, and an additional interior pocket for extra storage.

Overall, the Páramo Aspira 360 smock delivers high performance and functionality for winter conditions, while its commitment to sustainability through recycled materials and repairability positions it as a leader in the outdoor industry. |t’s expensive yes, but it showcases some very high spec design at least – and is built to last.

Waterproof fabric: Nikwax Analogy / Sizes: XS-XXL (unisex)  / Pit zips: upper arm vents / Fit: quite loose

Read our full Páramo Aspira 360 review.

Buy the Páramo Aspira 360: £600 at Paramo-clothing.com 

10. Tierra Nevado

Price: £222
Weight: 440g
Best for: hiking and alpine climbing
What we liked: protective hood, good ventilation options
What we didn’t like: strange pocket configuration

Tierra is a Swedish brand that has been making some very good products of late. This, the Nevado jacket, is a case in point. Selected for our Outdoor 100 for 2023/24, we tested out a women’s version of this on a series of hikes, most notably in the Cairngorms national park, and were impressed by the fabric and technical touches that make this suitable for anything from summer backpacking through to alpine mountaineering. 

Related: Best Walking Boots for Women

The Gore-tex three-layer fabric had durability and a nice bit of flex, while the large two-way pit zips give good control over the internal climate of the jacket. The hood was perhaps our favourite aspect of this as it has a good range of volume adjustment and provides a lot of secure protection from the elements thanks to its large moldable peak and high collar. 

There was one thing we didn’t like so much about this: the chest pocket. Strangely, this pocket connects with one of the hand warmer pockets and, while this will have its uses, there’s the risk of placing your phone or keys into the chest pocket and losing them because you haven’t realised that the other zip into the pocket is open. Still, this is a well-built jacket with excellent performance in rough conditions and overall we liked it a lot. 

Waterproof fabric: Gore-tex / Sizes: XS-XXL (men’s), XXS-XXL (women’s) / Pit zips: no / Fit: regular

Selected for our Outdoor 100. Read our full Tierra Nevado review.

Buy the Tierra Nevado: £222 at Trekitt.co.uk 

11. 66° North Snaefell Jacket

Price: £435
Weight: 515g
Best for: high-energy outdoor activities, hiking, climbing
What we liked: bio-based waterproof membrane from Polartec, roomy storage options
What we didn’t like: slightly cropped fit

66 North° are the first brand to adopt the innovative new Polartec Power Shield Pro, a fully waterproof, windproof, and highly breathable fabric technology that allows moisture to escape through diffusion on a molecular level, while blocking out wind and rain completely. This makes it ideal for high-energy outdoor activities where you need full weather protection along with breathability.

The Power Shield Pro PFAS-free membrane is also made from 48% plant-based content with a waterproof rating of 20,000 and a breathability rating of 20,000. There’s a remarkable amount of stretch to it too – so much that it doesn’t even feel like it’s actually waterproof. Fortunately it is! We used the Snaefell on a very wet trip to the Lake District and found that it provided the protection we needed.

The Snaefell has a two-way zip to make it harness-friendly, while the handwarmer pockets are also slightly raised to make them usable when you’re wearing a harness or a backpack hipbelt. Said handwarmers are roomy and are in fact large enough to swallow an OS map or big pair of winter gloves. Inside the jacket, there’s one small pocket and there’s also a small zipped pocket on the sleeve.

We think many people will appreciate its alpine cut, but if – like many of us here at Outdoors Magic – you do a lot of hiking in very wet and windy places like the UK; you might want to size up to ensure any insulation you’re wearing is kept covered down at the hem.

Waterproof fabric: Polartec Power Shield Pro / Sizes: S-3XL (men’s), XS-3XL (women’s) / Pit zips: yes / Fit: short at the hem

Read our full 66° North Snaefell Jacket review. 

Buy the 66° North Snaefell Jacket: £435 at 66north.com 

12. Rab Firewall Light

Price: £200
Weight: 313g
Best for: backpacking and three-season hiking
What we liked: good value, stretchy and dynamic fabric
What we didn’t like: fabric marks quite easily

The Rab Firewall is a good value three-layer waterproof and lightweight shell that uses the British brand’s proprietary ProFlex fabric. This is notably stretchy and it gives the jacket a comfortable fit that doesn’t restrict your movement, even when you’re reaching up high for a hold. 

At 313g, it’s a lightweight and packable option and therefore it’ll suit long-distance hikers, but it’s also got the features and durability to serve as a three-season workhouse for hiking and scrambling. 

Emma Cole, who tested the Firewall Light for us, is a tall, size 12 and tried the jacket in a size L. She says that she “found the jacket to be the perfect fit” adding that it was “comfortable, flattering and cut in all the right places”. Emma found that the arms are a decent length and the various adjustable mechanisms made it easy to tweak the jacket’s fit where necessary.

“I would like an inner pocket for valuables, but I’m being picky because ultimately the Firewall Light jacket is incredibly useful and it’s become a firm staple in my wardrobe,” adds Emma.

Waterproof fabric: Proflex (3L) / Sizes: XS-XL (men’s), XS-XL (women’s) / Pit zips: no / Fit: regular

Selected for our Outdoor 100 gear of the year list. Read our full Rab Firewall Light review.

Buy the Rab Firewall Light: £200 at Ellis-brigham.com

13. Montane Solution Jacket

Price: £170
Weight: 460g
Best for: eco-minded adventurers
What we liked: good eco credentials, durable build, nicely cut
What we didn’t like: quite heavy

This is a jacket that showcases some excellent eco efforts. The polyester face fabric, membrane and backer, for instance, are derived from recycled materials (100%, 75% and 100% respectively) while a solution dyeing process has been used in its creation. Solution dyeing means that the fibres used to form the garments are dyed before they’re woven together instead of being woven then dyed. By doing it before, less water and energy is used and it also results in more colourfast garments. 

Fortunately, the jacket also performs very well, offering the levels of waterproofing and breathability you’d expect from a three-layer waterproof jacket. It’s also got a very durable feel to it and feels built to last. That durability does come at a cost though, because at 460g it’s not particularly light. 

“I’m 5 foot 10 and tried this in my usual size”, which is a size medium, said our tester. “I really like the fit as the hem comes down nicely below the waist to keep below a backpack hipbelt without riding up and there’s plenty of room for a midweight down or synthetic insulated jacket underneath too.

Waterproof fabric: Pertex Shield Revolve / Sizes: S-3XL (men’s), 8-18 (women’s)  / Pit zips: no / Fit: regular though slightly long at the hem

Read our full Montane Solution review.

Buy the Montane Solution Jacket: £170 at Absolute-snow.co.uk

14. Rohan Ventus Jacket

Price: £350
Weight: 450g
Best for: Hiking, day-to-day wear
What we liked: Fit, durability, neat venting underarm zips, peaked hood holds well
What we didn’t like: No recycled materials or info on recyclability.

British brand Rohan have come up with a durable and reliable performer here. It’s a jacket that uses a three-layer fabric called Barricade, which involves a tough outer shell, a PU membrane and then a liner material that we found to be comfortable to wear against bare skin. 

With its hydrostatic head of 20,000 and a breathability rating of 20,000 MVTR, the Ventus’s membrane stats are good – up there with the likes of Gore-tex and Patagonia’s H2No – and out in the field the jacket did offer the performance we tend to look for, helped a lot by the neatly designed venting zips under the arms. 

At 450g, it’s not the lightest but it does hit a goldilocks spot, being light enough for backpacking while also hardy enough to serve as your year-round workhorse. It’s also one of those jackets that’s clearly been designed by hikers for hikers, offering pockets that’ll fit an OS map and that are accessible when you’re wearing a backpack with a hipbelt. It also has a reliable peaked hood that holds well and moves with your head.

Waterproof fabric: Barricade Standard (3L) / Sizes: S-XXL (men’s), S-XL (women’s)  / Pit zips: yes / Fit: regular

Read our full Rohan Ventus review.

Buy the Rohan Ventus: £199 at Rohan.co.uk 

15. Highlander Munro

Price: £120
Weight: 556g
Best for: year-round hillwalking
What we liked: good value, useful details you’d expect on a pricier jacket
What we didn’t like: the DWR seems to be quite weak

Highlander is a long running Scottish brand that makes functional kit at very good prices (and with decent warranties too) and this, the Munro jacket, is a case and point. It’s a 3-layer shell that has a lot of the same qualities as the Mountain Equipment Makalu jacket that came out tops in this round up, only the materials and details are just a slightly lower-spec. 

We tested this out in a lot of rain and wind in the Scottish Highlands and it did what was required of it, with the durability of the fabrics, the venting options and the functionality and reliability of the hood really standing out. We did notice, however, that the outer fabric wetted out quite quickly after the jacket had been used on a few big hikes and, as such, it’s a garment that’s going to need fairly regular reproofing.

We found the fit to be true to size – so go for your usual. Also, it comes with a spare set of zipper tabs in a different colour, so you can choose for a muted look or a bit of pop. 

Waterproof fabric: Protex 3L  / Sizes: XS-XXL (men’s), S-XXL (women’s) / Pit zips: yes / Fit: regular.

Read our full Highlander Munro Jacket review.

Buy the Highlander Munro: £120 at Highlander-outdoor.com

16. Outdoor Research Aspire 3L Jacket

Price: £220
Weight: 435g
Best for: Backpacking, trail running
What we liked: Excellent articulation, breathable fabric
What we didn’t like: Fabric feels quite thin

In our tests, this technical waterproof jacket – which we found to be able to serve a variety of activities – proved to be lightweight and very packable, and we also found it to be robust enough to keep out the elements. The key feature we liked the most is that it can be opened up to allow for rapid ventilation. The majority of the sides can be zipped open right down to the waist, thus reducing overheating. 

Related: Best Walking Shoes for Women

It uses Outdoor Research’s AscentShell Dry technology, a waterproof fabric that gets a lot of appreciation from gear geeks who know their membranes. Why? Because it brings a lot of breathability to the table while it’s also got a stretchiness that creates the feeling of complete freedom of movement.

We found this to be ideal as a three-season hiking jacket while it also crossed over nicely as a winter trail running jacket and a jacket for cycling too. 

Men’s version is the Foray / Waterproof fabric: AscentShell Dry  / Sizes: XS-4XL (women’s)  S-3XL / Pit zips: yes / Fit: athletic. 

Read our full Outdoor Research Aspire review.

Buy the Outdoor Research Aspire: £220 at Amazon.co.uk

17. Jack Wolfskin Prelight 2.5L

Price: £150
Weight: 254g
Best for: summer hiking, everyday use, daily walking
What we liked: great eco credentials, very packable
What we didn’t like: a little on the small side

This is a nifty waterproof jacket that, while not for top of the mountain performance, is a great option for casual hikes and as a just-in-case-I-need-it option. For hiking, it’s best-suited to warm to cooler weather and those hikes where rain isn’t really a big threat but you just need something to see off showers, light rain or buffeting wind while you’re sat on a hill eating your sandwiches.

The Prelight 2.5L jacket features a 2.5-layer design and is made from Jack Wolfskin’s Texapore Ecosphere Pro, a fabric with some excellent sustainability credentials. Not only is the outer shell fabric made from 100% recycled materials, but the membrane underneath it is derived from cutting waste from textile manufacturing. As you’d expect, it’s also PFAS-free, which can actually be said for Jack Wolfskin’s entire line.

OM editor Will has been testing the Prelight in the mountains of Eryri. He said: “I’ve found this to be a jacket that manages to cleverly blend the convenience of a pack-a-mac with the performance of a technical rain 2.5-layer rain shell. There is a limit to its storm-proofing, but it’s not designed for big mountain missions or long spells in the wilderness – Jack Wolfskin make other jackets for that kind of stuff. It’s made for lightweight convenience and it serves that purpose well.”

Waterproof fabric: Texapore Ecosphere Pro / Sizes: S-XXL (men’s), XS-XL (women’s) / Pit zips: yes / Fit: regular

Read our full Jack Wolfskin Prelight 2.5L review. 

Buy The Jack Wolfskin Prelight 2.5L Jacket: £150 at Jack-wolfskin.co.uk​

What To Look For When Buying a Waterproof Jacket

Venting – This not only comes from the breathability of the fabric, but manufacturers are also able to increase venting through the use of pit zips and mesh lined pockets.

Zips and pockets – The type of zip a jacket has influences how waterproof the jacket is. Premium zipper technology creates a zip that locks together tight, to remove the need for a PU or fabric coating that covers the entire zip. However, this also adds a little more to the price of the jacket.

Hoods – Hoods come in a variety of shapes, sizes and adjustability, which all depend on the type of brand you’re looking to buy – it’s again important to try them on before you buy. You’ll be looking for a good range of adjustability and if you’re climbing a lot, then a helmet compatible hood is essential.

Pockets – A good all-round jacket will hold a few pockets for stuffing various items in throughout the day. Considering the pockets based on the activity you’re buying the jacket for is important, as if you’re frequently strapping your backpack up, then you don’t want pockets that can’t be used whilst wearing a pack. Similarly, Napoleon chest pockets are essential for climbers who are frequently wearing a harness over their waterproof jacket.

Understanding Waterproof Membranes

Rain jackets are essential for staying dry in wet conditions, but not all are created equal. Key to their effectiveness is the waterproof membrane, a specialised layer within the jacket’s fabric. It acts as a barrier to prevent water from entering while allowing moisture vapour to escape. There are various types of waterproof membranes, each with unique properties. Notable options include Gore-Tex, known for its exceptional waterproofing and breathability; eVent, highly breathable and waterproof; Pertex Shield, known for its lightweight qualities, and H2No by Patagonia, which is highly regarded for its sustainability and protection. There are numerous other options out there though, with many brands offering their own proprietary waterproof fabrics.

These membranes work in different ways, though most feature microscopic pores that are smaller than water droplets but larger than water vapour molecules – so water can only pass through in vapour form and not in liquid form.

These membranes are typically laminated to the jacket’s inner surface, preventing rain from penetrating while allowing sweat and moisture to escape. On the outside, you’ll tend to find a durable fabric that protects the membrane from abrasion, while on the inside you tend to find liner fabrics that protect the membrane, wick moisture and add next-to-skin comfort.

Waterproof Rating (mm H2O)

This rating, often referred to as the hydrostatic head, represents the amount of water pressure a fabric can withstand before water penetrates. The measurement is in millimetres of water. For example, a rain jacket with a 10,000mm waterproof rating can withstand the pressure of a 10,000mm (10-meter) column of water before it starts to leak. Higher numbers indicate better waterproofing. Generally, a rating of 5,000mm is suitable for light rain, while 10,000mm and above is ideal for heavy rain and more extreme conditions. For something like a Gore-tex jacket, you can often expect a hydrostatic head of over 20,000mm.

Breathability Rating (g/m²/24h)

This rating measures how well a fabric allows moisture vapour (sweat) to escape from the inside of the jacket to the outside. It’s typically expressed in grams per square meter over a 24-hour period. The higher the number, the more breathable the fabric. A breathable waterproof jacket helps regulate your body temperature and prevents you from feeling sweaty and clammy. A good range for breathability is 5,000g/m²/24h to 20,000g/m²/24h, with higher values indicating better performance. Gore-tex don’t tend to give figures for the breathability of their jackets but they tend to be rated to at least 20,000g/m²/24h – there are some membranes with far, far higher rating though, with Polartec NeoShell arguably being the most notable example.

How to Wash and Reproof a Waterproof Jacket

Since it was discovered that the chemicals (PFCs) used to add water repellency to jackets were bad for the environment and companies subsequently stopped using these, there’s a strong case to say that more recently produced waterproof jackets (without PFCs) can saturate quickly. As such, it’s essential to keep reproofing such items if you want them to perform at their best for you. Fortunately, brands such as Nikwax offer solutions that can be applied at home in a quick and easy way.

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